just got my pro xxl installed and from a machine perspective everything checks out.
then i tried my first project, the coaster project in the instructions, and things started going downhill.
problems seem to start here although it may be that a previous error is only surfacing here
Clearing previous offsets (fresh start)
Moving to job zero
we home the machine and then in automatically goes to the front of the cnc and comes to a stop at the front center and asks to add a router bit, which is already installed. so we hit āresumeā
we position the router bit at the center point of our wood, zero all, load the file and click start job ā¦ the instructions say the router should raise 1/2" ā¦ it doesnāt ā¦ it raises about 2-1/2" and move as far to the front of the cnc as it can and says set the rpm to 10k which i do ā¦ if i turn on the spindle as the instructions say, it goes to the bitsetter, we donāt want to do that ā¦ if i donāt turn on the spindle it goes to the bitsetter anyway and then proceeds to perform the cut (router not running) but is nowhere near the center of the board that we ājoggedā it to
Yes, those instructions were written before the BitSetter existed, so the behavior is slightly different now
Do you have a bitRunner, and if you donāt can you double check that you donāt have āhas spindle controlā checkbox checked in the Settings page in CM ?
Can you upload here both the c2d file and generated gcode (nc) file ?
I donāt quite understand the router prompt issue you are having (you should only have the prompt to turn on the router after the probing on the bitsetter upon starting the job)
This could be due to a mismatch between where you set your zero reference in the file, and where you actually zeroed on the stock ? With your gcode file we should be able to double-check that
Sorry for the delayed answer (timezonesā¦)
Nothing special in the c2d and nc files.
So about the workflow, and assuming you are using the latest version of CM, it should go like this:
machine initialization: it homes then move at front center and pause/prompt, resume and it moves over the bitsetter, probes the tool length, returns to center
load job / set zeroes (clear all offsets & zero all)
start job: it moves to front center for the opportunity to insert a tool, resume, it moves over the bitsetter to probe again (since the tool may have been changed since init/zeroing), then return to front center and promps to set RPM: thatās when you turn on the router. Hit resume and it proceeds to start the cut
About the location of the cut:
the āTā is several inches to the right of the zero point (which you set in the lower left corner of your stock), so itās normal that the router does not go to the zero point, but rather to the side of the āTā.
if it goes someplace that is way off, itās probably that you did not zero where you think you did ? One easy way to double-check before you start the job is using the āX0Y0ā button in the rapid position screen
You may also try an air cut to figure out where it would do the cut. After you zero, just raise Z by an inch or so, and reset Z0 only. Once you start the job the endmill should hover over the piece without cutting anything, which is a safe way to double check the movements are are you expect (or notā¦)
Iām getting closer but I donāt understand the lower portion of your response, specifically the zero point. How does that impact where the job starts? Based on the example, I am setting the router in the middle of the board. Doesnāt that dictate where the job will begin? How does the zero point move the starting point over a few inches?
Think of it this way: the zero point is just a reference to match the design (from Carbide Create) to the physical world. You set it in the lower left corner of the work area in CC, and you then set it some a specific location on the machine : after that the machine will move relative to that point. If a line in your design is 4 inches to the right of the zero in CC, it will be cut 4 inches to the right of the physical location you set your zeroes to on your machine, simple as that. In your example, the machine needs to cut a T that is placed a few inches to the right of the zero reference, so thatās where it will go upon starting the job, it has no reason to go to the zero point you set, this is just a reference and there is nothing to cut there.
In addition to the page Will linked, you may be interested in the ebook that covers all of this (probably in more detail than you need right now)
If you selected the lower left corner as your toolpath zero point in CC then that is where you would jog your router to to set your X, Y, Z zero in CM.
thought the picture might help ā¦ that was the part i was missing. i think i finally understand it now although iām sure there are plenty of challenges ahead.
